Three-high rolling mill



Nov. 27, 1928.

L. JOHNSON THREE-HIGH ROLLING MILL Filed Nov. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W fc nwi Nov. 27, 1928. 1,693,386

| JOHNSON THREE-HIGH ROLLING MILL Filed Nov. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LANE JOHNSON, OF TNGRAM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED ENGINEER- ING AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

THREE-HIGH ROLLING MILL.

Application filed November 26. 1924. Serial No. 752,310.

The present invention relates to three-high rolling mills and has for its object to provide improved means for supporting and shifting the middle roll.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a three-high rolling mill embodying a preferred embodiment of my invention, and

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 11-11 of Figure 1.

The illustrated mill is of the usual construction aside from'the supporting means tor the middle roll which constitutes the present invention. It embodies upper and lower rolls 2 and 3 which are driven through the spindles 4 and a middle roll 5 which is smaller than the upper and lower rolls and which is adapted to be raised and lowered to permit the work to pass alternately between the upper roll and the middle roll and the lower roll and the middle roll. this middle roll being driven through friction.

The upper roll 2 is journalled in bearings 6 which are connected to the ends of an equalizing lever 7. This equalizing lever is connected at its center by vertical rods 8 with a cross head 9 mounted on the upper end of a piston 1.0 working in a fluid cylinder 11.

Fluid pressure is constantly maintainedin the cylinder against the lower end of the. piston whereby the piston through its connections with the equalizing lever exerts a constant upward pull on the latter. The position of the upper roll is adjusted by the usual screw down screws 12. By turning these screws the size of the pass between the rolls can be adjusted.

The middle roll has journal portions 13 at its ends which are journalled in bearings 14 at one end of levers 15. These levers are pivoted at the other end to the upper end of links 16. The links 16 are pivoted at the lower end to brackets 17 on the rolling mill housing the latter being secured to the shoes by the usual bolts 18. The bearings 14 are formed partly in the levers 15 and partly in bearings caps 19 secured to the ends oi the levers by bolts 20.

Associated with each lever 15 is a fluid pressure cylinder 21 having a piston 21 working therein, the upper end of which engages in a recess 22 formed in the lower side of the associated lever 15 intermediate its ends. The two fluid pressure cylinders at the opposite ends of the mill are connected to a common pressure fluid supply pipe 23 which may have a suitable three-way valve (not shown) associated therewith for admitting pressure fluid to the cylinders and for permitting pressure fluid to exhaust from said cylinders.

Figure 2 shows the relative positions of the rolls when the pass is between the upper and middle rolls. In order to change the pass to the lower and middle rolls, the pressure fluid is admitted to the cylinders 21 which causes the pistons 21 to rise and through the levers 15 raise the middle roll until it contacts with the upper roll. When it is desired to again shift the pass to the upper and middle rolls the control valve for the supply pipe 23 is turned to a position to allow the pressure fluid to exhaust from the cylinders 21, whereupon the middle roll is allowed to descend by gravity until it contacts with. the lower roll.

In case it is desired to remove the middle roll. the screws 12 are backed 01f sufficient] to allow the piston 10 to raise the upper r0 1 a considerable distance. Pressure fluid is then admitted to the cylinders 21 to raise the middle roll into contact with the upper roll. Blocks are then placed between the middle roll and the lower roll to maintain the middle roll in its elevated position. The fluid is then exhausted from the cylinders 21 thereby allowing the pistons 21 to descend by gravity out of engagement'with the levers 15. The caps 19 are then removed and this permits the levers 15 to be swung to the left (Figure 1) out of the way of the middle roll. The latter can then be withdrawn through the windows of the roll housings.

It will be apparent that I have provided a very simple arrangement for supporting and operating the middle roll. The parts take up very little space at the ends of the rolling mill an there are no interconnecting parts which extend along the sides of the mill. This construction greatly facilitates the removal of the middle roll.

The rovision of fluid pressure operated levers or supporting the middle roll is not broadly novel but the provision of the removable caps is a novel feature of the present invention. Furthermore it has heretofore been considered necessary to connect the supporting levers by equalizing means consisting of shafts extending along the sides of the rolling mill and connected at their ends with the opposite ends of the levers by crank arms and links. In the construction of the present invention I find this interconnecting equalizing means unnecessary thereby greatly simplifyin the construction.

hile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention itwill be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction shown but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a three-high rolling mill, means for supporting the middle roll, comprising a pair of levers atthe opposite ends of said roll each having a bearing for one end of the roll thereon at the end thereof comprising a removable portion whereby the roll can be released from said bearings, each of said levers being pivoted for rocking movement in a vertical plane independently of the other, and means associated with each lever for actuatg said levers to raise the middle roll and d it in such position, substantially as described.

2. In a three-high rolling mill, means for supporting the middle roll, comprising a pair of levers at the opposite ends of said roll extending at right angles to the axis of the roll, each of said levers being pivotally connected at one end to a pivotally mounted link and having a bearing at its other end for one end of the roll comprising a removable portion whereby the roll can be released from said bearin s, and a fluid pressure cylinder positioned beneath each lever and having. a plunger engageablc with the lever whereby to raise the middle roll and hold it in raised position, said levers being operable independently of each other, substantially as described.

3. In a rolling mill having top and bottom rolls, and an intermediate roll, a pair of levers pivotally supported at their outer ends on pivoted supporting members, each of said levers having an inner terminal portion with a roll releasing bearing therein, said levers being movable in a vertical are about their outer pivot point as a center upon removal of the intermediate roll from engagement with the bearings thereof.

4. In a rolling mill having top and bottom rolls, and an intermediate roll, a pair of levers pivotally supported at their outer ends on pivoted supporting members, each of said levers having an inner terminal portion with a roll releasing bearing therein, said levers being movable in a vertical are about their outer pivot points as a center upon removal of the intermediate roll from engagement with the bearings thereof, and operating means for imparting a limited tilting motion to each of the levers.

5. In a rolling mill having top and bot-tom rolls, and an intermediate roll, a pair of levers pivotally supported at their outer ends, each of said levers having an inner terminal portion with a roll releasing bearing therein, said levers being movable in a vertical are about their outer pivot point as a center upon removal of the intermediate roll from engagement with the bearings thereof, and a vertically movable operating bar for each of the levers on which they are tiltably supported between their ends.

6. In a rolling mill having top and bottom rolls and a removable intermediate roll, pivoted levers for releasably supporting said intermediate roll, each of said pivoted levers having an inner terminal portion which carries a bearing for the said intermediate roll, each of said levers being movable in a vertical are into and out of the position between the ends of the top and. bottom rolls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LANE JOHNSON. 

